rivals
by kneeshee
Summary: Lance couldn't have known what his words were going to cause after he said them. In his defense, Keith hardly ever opened up.


Lance couldn't have known what his words were going to cause after he said them. In his defense, Keith hardly ever opened up.

Yet it still came as a surprise to him and the other paladins to see how hard Keith flinched when Lance called him his rival. Not to mention the way James Griffin's jaw seemed to drop before his features blank out so familiar to—

James stormed out of the room before anything else could be said. Keith moved to follow, but he was quickly pinned to the wall by Indirah (she had the second highest grades in their class after Keith was expelled and everyone had been convinced, she had a crush on Keith and James)

The Paladins stared in silence. They had seen Keith face down all sort of enemies with a straight face. They've seen him face down _Zarkon _without blinking an eye. And yet, he looked absolutely scared for his life as someone half a foot shorter than him sneered at him.

"What the hell does he mean by that, Kogane?"

Lance swore he heard Keith whimper.

The raven-haired paladin quickly shook his head. The other MFEs were standing behind Indirah looking like an intimidating group of thugs. "It's not what you think!"

Her grip seemed to tighten on his armor. She didn't even seem to flinch as Hunk tried to separate the two.

"Oh, really? Tell me what it is that I think then!"

Keith shook his head rapidly, "Lance and I aren't rivals. I wouldn't do that to him. I wouldn't do that to James."

Lance spluttered indignantly. "Hey! What! We had a bonding moment."

If anything, his words seemed to spark an even deeper anger in her. Lance swore he heard her growl as she pressed Keith further into the wall. For such a small size, she had a lot of mass. She wasn't even budging no matter how hard Hunk seemed to push her away.

The words coming out of her mouth were near a hiss, "A bonding moment? Do tell what this moment entailed."

"Don't answer that Lance," Keith immediately shot out. Indirah seemed to glow red with hatred. "Please, Indirah. Let me see him."

"I'm not letting you anywhere near him, you cheating scumbag," she yelled out. Her glare turned poisonous.

And the room just goes silent.

Hunk blinks, "I'm sorry. Did you just say cheating?"

And Allura, sweet Allura, "And who is this him that you're keeping him from?"

Indirah looks at them blankly for a second before she's tenses up in rage again, "Excuse me! You've been in space for five years and you didn't tell anyone about your relationship with him! What you were just going to keep a secret while you rolled around the sheets with Lance?"

"WHAT!" Lance and the others screech. All eyes turn to Keith who's looking so uncomfortable and as if he wanted to flee but was scared of the very angry female in front of him.

"Hold on," Pidge declares. Her hands are crossed in an X formation and she's looking between everyone still in the room. "Clearly there is some misunderstanding going on here."

Indirah looks up her up and down. Like she's trying to size her up. The auburn-haired female doesn't even seem to care that they were the Paladins of Voltron. Heroes across the galaxy, etc. etc. "I'm not seeing it. Keith is a lying and cheating asshole and McClain is a homewrecker."

Keith seemed to explode as he finally pushed her away. She stumbled back just a little before she steadied herself and glared at him. "I don't have time for this! Lance and I aren't together!"

He ran off before anything else could be said. Indirah was about to storm after him but Hunk blocked her way. Lance chuckled awkwardly, "So are you going to tell us what that was about? Cause Keith isn't lying. We are not together."

Indirah and the others paused before they all turned to look at him. "Then why were you calling him your rival," the one he thinks is Nadia questions.

"Because he is," he asks unsure. He yelps and leaps behind Allura as Indirah begins to walk over towards him.

"So, you are a homewrecker," Indirah snarls. She's pulling up the sleeves to her uniform looking like a deadly warrior.

"NO!"

The blonde one, Ina something, "I believe I understand what is going on here."

"Well can you explain it to us," Pidge demanded. Ina didn't even blink. "James and Keith are rivals, but they are also dating. Being "rivals" is their code word for boyfriend and "bonding moments" were just them either going on dates or having sex."

Indirah glared harder.

Lance just stares.

One because he cannot believe that's he's been calling Keith his _boyfriend _for all this time. It makes the way Keith reacted in confusion and disgust and anger so much more understanding. [And how Keith forgot him being his "suppose" rival when they weren't rivals to begin with]

Two he can't believe Keith no one understands my pain, or my glowing purple sword has a boyfriend. A hot one at that because James was cute when they were younger and now, he's gorgeous. Not as good looking as himself though.

Oh, be still his bi heart.

"No, no. We were rivals, but without the relationship. We competed. There was no dating. No homewrecking. The bonding moment was Keith holding me after I nearly died and all that. No dates."

Indirah stares at him for another moment and its startling to watch how all the other MFEs defer to her. She roams her eyes over the rest of them before she scoffs lightly.

"Fine. Whatever," the dark-haired one, Kinkade, pushes her shoulder lightly. She pouts stubbornly. "I apologize for threatening you."

She turns to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To make sure my boyfriends haven't killed each other."

Epic silence.

* * *

"So, it was all a misunderstanding?"

"Ahh... yes…"

"I'm sorry. I should've... mm... listened…"


End file.
